I Hate Divorce
by XxLadyStrengthxX
Summary: Byron confesses to Aria that he and Ella are getting a divorce. So, after hearing this life-changing news, Aria falls into the loving and accepting embrace of her English teacher. - Mainly Aria/Byron convo, but EZRIA throughout. - Read and Review, please!


**A/N: I hate divorce. It happens too often in my family... I just found out that my grandparents are getting one, and I felt "inspired" to write this. I have to change some stuff, but I will try to lean as close to the show as possible. My grandpa told me, so Byron will tell Aria. I know, I know; Aria's parents aren't divorced in the show, but it could very much happen. So, this is my take on how Aria would have to find out. There is Ezria in the end, just to make it somewhat okay. Please read and review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. All rights belong to Sara Shepard and ABC Family.**

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><p>It was a cold and rainy Sunday evening in Rosewood, Pennsylvania as Aria Montgomery and her father, Byron, sat across from one another in a small French cafe. They didn't have fatherdaughter alone time quite often, but they seemed to be content when they did get the chance. They were discussing colleges and future plans that might interest Aria over steaming cups of coffee and bowls of soup. The door was constantly being opened by incoming customers, causing Aria to pull Ezra's Hollis jacket she was wearing tighter around her body. She smiled as the movement sent her secret boyfriend's scent to her nose, but quickly wiped the grin off her face when her father looked at her quizzically.

Byron set down his mug with a soft 'clang' and asked, "Why don't we go sit in my car? We can turn the heat on."

They two had come from different places to meet: Byron from work and Aria from Spencer's house, so they both had their own cars outside.

Aria shrugged. "Okay."

The pair stood and walked outside into the chilled air, and then walked swiftly to Byron's parked car on the side of the cafe. After unlocking and entering the car, he turned the heat on so Aria could get comfortable. When finished, Byron took a deep breath and leaned back into his seat.

Aria couldn't help but feel that something wasn't right. "What's all this about, Dad?"

"Aria," her father began, pausing to think of how to confess what was on his mind. "I need to tell you something, and as much as I hate to admit it, it's bad news."

"Okay..." Aria said slowly, not exactly sure where her father was headed with the conversation.

Byron's lips formed a straight line in concentration. "As you are aware, your mother moved out a few months ago."

"Yes, Dad, I know; that's why she doesn't live with us anymore," Aria replied gently, yet sarcastically.

Byron half-smiled, but quickly became serious. "Aria... Ella filed for divorce."

Aria suddenly became still, not sure what to say. Her parents were splitting up? For good? But she thought that... "Wait, what about those dinner dates you've been having recently?"

"We've been meeting with an attorney, then going out to dinner..." was Byron's reply."I've been trying to talk her out of it for you and your brother's sake, but she won't budge. She's not happy anymore, Aria. I even took her to a restaurant we went to while we were dating, hoping that would pull at her heart a little...but it didn't do one damn thing."

Aria could hear her father's voice begin to shake as he spoke; however, she continued to stare out the window. There was soon a long silence between the father and daughter, and the only sound heard was the rain pelting down against the car in huge drops. She finally gained enough strength to ask, "Does Mike know?"

"I-I'm not sure. Your mother is supposedly going to tell him; we came to the agreement that I would tell you and she would tell him."

Aria's throat began to burn, and an unwanted lump was forming right in the middle. She refused to cry; she wanted to be strong for her father.

"After what happened a year ago, when you and Alison saw me and Meredith, I thought that Iceland would help...and it actually did! But coming back here only made things worse. I've apologized numerous times, and I've offered to find a different college to work at, but your mother just won't take me back..." Byron explained, unshed tears welling up in his eyes. "She's just too scared that I'd go back to Meredith."

"How often will Mike and I see her?" Aria asked quietly, attempting to keep her voice from shaking.

"I'm not sure. That's what we are trying to figure out right now - the custody rights. I will probably have you more because I have the house though, but that's just a guess," Byron answered.

Aria let a deep, slow breath escape from her lips as she took all this in. Byron unexpectedly reached over and wrapped a strong hand over her small ones that were crossed in her lap. Aria looked up to meet her father's gaze; he was now silently crying and suddenly whispered, "I don't know how things will go from here, Sweetheart, but you need to know that I love you, and your mother loves you. You and Mike had nothing to do with this; I was the stupid one trying to keep it from her and thinking that if I forgot about the whole affair, nothing would come out of it.

"I'm also sorry that I put you in the position of lying for me. It was wrong and selfish; I should've never dragged you into my problems... I'm so terribly sorry, Aria. I really and truly am," Byron rambled, his tears now falling freely down his face.

During his rant, Aria's tears had fallen too, and she was shaking violently from her silent sobs. Her chest heaved up and down rapidly as shaky, uneven breaths left her mouth. She didn't know what to say, so they once again fell into a silence as Byron continued holding her hands in his. The rain continued to pour outside as people entered and exited the cafe in front of them.

Breaking the silence, Byron pulled out a napkin from the dashboard and dabbed Aria's makeup stained face for her. "I'm sorry, Aria. I just don't know what the future holds for our family... I'm going to give your mom a call and let her know that I told you. I'm sure she will want to see soon and discuss her point of view as well..."

Aria's response was a stiff nod. Her sobbing had subsided, so she wiped the area under her eyes with the back of her hand. Aria giggled at the smeared makeup across her skin, "My fault for not wearing waterproof mascara today." Byron chuckled slightly, but she continued, "I better go."

"Right, I'll take you to your car so you don't get too wet," her father offered. Byron put the car in reverse and slowly made his way across the parking lot to Aria's car. As she unbuckled her seatbelt, Byron added, "I tried to keep her, Aria, but she just won't trust me."

"I know, Dad... I'll call you later, okay?"

"Alright."

Aria gave a sad smile and leaned across the seat to give her father a hug and kiss on the cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too, Sweetheart."

Aria pulled back and opened the car door, then exited into the cold air. She quickly got in her own car and blasted the heat. As it began to warm up, Aria slipped off her shoes and set them in the passenger seat. She pulled up her left leg and rested her elbow on it, making a comfortable armrest for her drive.

The broken teenage girl drove across town listening to the soft sounds of the radio. When she reached her destination, Aria grabbed the bag from her backseat and ran into the building. Three flights of stairs later, she was banging on the door to apartment 3B. Ezra Fitz opened the door a few seconds later to see his girlfriend in tears once again. "Aria..."

"I hate divorce," was all she said, and he didn't hesitate to gather her into his arms immediately. "I hate it _so _much..."

"Shhh, I know, Babe," Ezra soothed, holding onto her as tight as he could without suffocating her. "Stay here tonight."

Aria nodded into his chest silently before Ezra pulled her inside and shut the door behind him. It pissed him off how so much could crumble in on a delicate girl's life at once. There was Ali's death, the Jenna thing, the creepy 'A' stalker, her friends being blamed for murder, and now her family was going down the drain for good. Ezra Fitz hated seeing the love of his life unhappy and broken. So, he was going to help Aria forget her troubles for the night, even if it was the last thing he ever did.

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><p><strong>AN: I hate divorce and needed some Ezria to help me smile.**

**Please review. It would make my day(: **

**Thanks!**

**XxLadyStrengthxX**


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